After vowing never to be at the mercy of label heads other than themselves, the members of this Milwaukee outfit took their act south to the independent Chicago-based Checkered Past Records for their seventh release,
Torture. Aside from (perhaps) previous behind-the-scenes administrative decisions and roster priorities that didn't sit well with the Spanics, which led to their disenchantment with labels in general, their sound has remained remarkably constant throughout their recording history. The obvious exceptions were their early-'90s flirtations with psychedelic-laced roots rock and 1994's
Spanic Family Album, which explored more of a twangy flavor -- but
the Spanic Boys' musical meanderings never seemed to obfuscate their overall sound.
Torture incorporates all of their roots rock influences into a cohesive package. Produced by Ian Spanic, this album includes Beatleesque pop, rockabilly, country, blues, and heartland rock in a manner not unlike Americana kingpin Steve Earle. And because of a professional partnership dating back to the mid-'80s and a father/son relationship dating back a bit further, their guitar and vocal interplay is tighter and smoother than ever before. While
Torture doesn't necessarily cover uncharted territory for this duo, the maturity and comfort level displayed by Ian and Tom Spanic is apparent and, in an age when all of the original melodies seem to be taken, they can still churn out one irresistible three-minute song after another. ~ Dave Sleger